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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 76: June 17, 2003

Public Comment Sought on NSB S&E Workforce Report

It is "imperative that the Federal Government reassess its role and
step forward with an aggressive effort to better prepare the
Nation's S&E workforce," declares a new draft report by the National
Science Board (NSB).  Echoing several other recent reports, the NSB
report warns of an impending crisis for the nation's science and
engineering (S&E) enterprise if projections about S&E job growth,
current workforce retirement rates, the number of American students
pursuing S&E careers, and international competition for foreign S&E
workers prove true.

The NSB is still seeking public comments on its report, which calls
for a greater federal role - accompanied by increased federal
resources - in preparing the S&E workers of the future.  The Board
recommends the following National Policy Imperative: "The Federal
Government and its agencies must step forward to ensure the adequacy
of the US science and engineering workforce.  All stakeholders must
mobilize and initiate efforts that increase the number of US
citizens pursuing science and engineering studies and careers."

The draft report, by the Task Force on National Workforce Policies
for Science and Engineering, can be found on the NSB web site at:
http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/ , and IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL JULY
1, 2003.  COMMENTS SHOULD BE EMAILED TO:  nsbcomments{at}nsf.gov .

The report points out that while the federal government has played a
major role in supporting graduate S&E education, undergraduate
education has largely been the responsibility of states and
localities.  The report also finds that while the US S&E enterprise
"has always benefitted from foreign science and engineering talent,"
the "level of dependence on foreign-born students and
professionals...has become problematic."  It anticipates increased
global competition for S&E workers "at a time when demand for their
skills is projected to rise significantly."  The NSB also expects
that "the number of native-born S&E graduates entering the workforce
is likely to decline unless the Nation intervenes to improve success
in educating S&E students from all demographic groups, especially
those that have been underrepresented in S&E careers."  The report
warns that its recommendations "will require increased Federal
resources commensurate with the role and planned contribution of
each [federal] agency."  It is of note that some of the suggested
actions, such as increasing graduate student stipends, encouraging
collaboration between schools of education and university science
and math departments, and providing scholarships to attract students
to S&E careers, are already being planned or implemented by the
National Science Foundation and other federal agencies.

The report's recommendations, along with selected explanatory text,
follow:

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING: "The Federal
Government must direct substantial new support to students and
institutions in order to improve success in S&E study by American
undergraduates from all demographic groups."  Government actions
should include providing scholarships and other financial
assistance; encouraging institutions to improve programs in S&E
areas where degree production is insufficient; providing financial
support to help community colleges increase students' success in
transferring to four-year S&E programs; and expanding funding to
programs that are successful in graduating underrepresented
minorities and women in S&E fields.  The report adds that "research
on the reason why able students switch out of S&E majors concludes
that improvement in the yield of S&E majors will require
modification of the educational environment, particularly for
improved retention of underrepresented minorities and women."

ADVANCED EDUCATION. IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING "Federal support for
research and graduate education should respond to the real economic
needs of students and promote a wider range of educational options
responsive to national skill needs."  The report calls for
competitive federal graduate and postdoctoral stipends that include
benefits; innovative approaches to higher education that prepare
students for a broad range of careers; and consistent, long-term
federal support for high-quality disciplinary and interdisciplinary
S&E doctoral programs.

The report recognizes the opportunity costs to students pursuing an
advanced education in S&E fields, and notes that "attracting more US
students to enroll in and complete graduate training depends in part
on their expectations that investment in science or engineering
education will be rewarded by careers employing the skills they
acquire."  It also acknowledges that "targeted interventions to
ensure the supply of scientists and engineers in specific fields may
miss the mark."

PRECOLLEGE TEACHING WORKFORCE FOR MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY: "In partnership with other stakeholders, the Federal
Government should act now to attract and retain an adequate cadre of
well-qualified precollege teachers of mathematics, science and
technology."  The report urges compensation of teachers at a level
comparable to that of other S&E professionals; reinforcement of
teaching as an important career and an integral part of the S&E
professions; and expedited certification of S&E professionals as
teachers.  It calls for support of teacher preparation programs that
bring together science and engineering departments with schools of
education, efforts by S&E professionals to assist and improve K-12
education, and research on learning in science and mathematics.

US ENGAGEMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL S&E WORKFORCE: Especially as visa
and other policies on foreign scientists and students are
reexamined, the report says, "it is essential that future US
policies: strengthen the capacity of US research universities to
sustain their leadership role in increasingly competitive
international S&E education; strongly support opportunities for
American students and faculty to participate in international S&E
education and research; [and] maintain the ability of the US to
attract internationally competitive researchers, faculty, and
students, while accommodating national security concerns."

KNOWLEDGE BASE ON THE S&E WORKFORCE: "To support development of
effective S&E workforce policies and strategies, the Federal
Government must: substantially raise its investment in research that
advances the state of knowledge on international S&E workforce
dynamics; [and] lead a national effort to build a base of
information on: the current status of the S&E workforce; national
S&E skill needs; [and] strategies that attract high-ability students
and professionals to S&E careers."

"Production and employment of scientists and engineers are not well
understood as a system," the report states; "Federal policies and
strategies for interventions in the workforce must be sensitive not
only to impacts on areas targeted for intervention, but also to
other impacts on broader workforce capabilities."

###############
Audrey T. Leath
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org  www.aip.org/gov
(301) 209-3094
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